AMFORTAS WORLDPRESS
In che senso si può dire che, nell’indifferenza generale ancora una volta, si è spenta una cantante storica?
La risposta è facile, ed è molto simile a quella che diedi a suo tempo su questo blog ad una domanda su Maria Callas: ha reinventato, risuscitato alcuni personaggi operistici. Vale per la Elisabetta I del Roberto Devereux, ovviamente, ma anche per molti altri, anche meno noti.
Però questo mio ricordo non vuole in alcun modo essere una sterile lista di titoli, perché semplicemente, lo dico a voce alta, con la scomparsa di Leyla Gencer se ne va un piccolo pezzo di quella magia che si chiama teatro, un non luogo dove si può essere tutti e nessuno, e vale per chi sta sul palco ovviamente ma, soprattutto, per chi è seduto in loggione o in platea.
In teatro si alimenta la nostra immaginazione, che è uno strumento per sfuggire alla realtà tristissima che ci circonda.
Non ho mai avuto la fortuna di sentire questa grande artista dal vivo, purtroppo, ma mi basta, non posso fare diversamente, ascoltare i suoi dischi. Le incisioni che ci restano sono proprio come lei: rare, fosche, di qualità sonora problematica molto spesso. Per non parlare dei suoi compagni di recite, qualche volta addirittura imbarazzanti dal punto di vista tecnico.
La tecnica è troppo spesso considerata l’unico metro di misura possibile per valutare un cantante.
Ricordo lo scempio che hanno fatto delle sue prestazioni due celeberrimi esponenti (apprezzabili per molti versi, sia chiaro) della critica musicale: Rodolfo Celletti e Elvio Giudici.
Bene, proprio pensando a quelle parole, mi è piacevole pensare che Leyla Gencer se ne sia andata così, con un ultimo gioioso, teatrale, colpo di glottide.
E mi sta bene anche che, come ho detto in apertura di questo post, sia scomparsa nell’indifferenza generale dei media: solo tra gli appassionati veri, pochi, era nota ed amata, ed immagino che tutti l’abbiano ricordata degnamente, magari in modo più meritevole di me, in silenzio.
Sarebbe sacrilego pensare che la notizia della sua morte sia infilata così, come la classica foglia di fico che copre vere vergogne, tra un vaneggiamento e l’altro dei protagonisti delle notizie eiaculate dalla televisione.
Basta così.
ANFIOSSO
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Leyla Gencer at “Teatro alla Scala” 2007 Photo: La Scala Archive © MARCO BRESCIA, Milano |
AOL
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Leyla Gencer in “Aida”1966 Photo: La Scala Archive © ERIO PICCAGLIANI, Milano |
Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer performs during Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. Turkey's state opera says Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer who made her career at Italy's La Scala has died in Milan. She was 80. Turkish officials say the singer who was known as La Diva Turca, or The Turkish Diva, died of respiratory problems and heart failure at her home on Friday.
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Leyla Gencer in “Pikovaya Dama” 1961 Photo: La Scala Archive © ERIO PICCAGLIANI, Milano |
Leyla Gencer made her UK debut at London's Royal Opera House in 1962
Renowned Turkish Soprano Leyla Gencer has died at her home in Milan, Italy, at the age of 80.
The singer made her career at Italy's La Scala opera house and was known as La Diva Turca, or The Turkish Diva. She appeared in more than 70 productions.
Gencer died of respiratory problems and heart failure on Friday.
La Scala expressed "immense sorrow" over Gencer's death, saying the singer had "one of the most moving voices of any time".
Her performances
provided "years of unrepeatable splendour", it added.
Gencer was a contemporary of opera singers Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi and made her debut at La Scala in 1957 playing Madame Lidoine in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites.
After retiring in 1985, she devoted herself to discovering and training young talent.
Su carrera abarcó 30 años y más de 70 personajes operísticos. Contemporánea y rival de las legendarias Maria Callas y Renata Tebaldi, Leyla Gencer no poseía, sin embargo, el poderoso instrumento vocal de ellas, aunque suplía esta limitación con una emotividad expresiva, una presencia escénica y unas dotes de actriz que la convirtieron pronto en una de las sopranos más fascinantes y apreciadas de su época; “de cualquier época”, como subrayaba el sábado un portavoz de la Scala de Milán, tras conocer su fallecimiento.
Conocida universalmente como “La Diva Turca”, Leyla Gencer había nacido en Estambul, el 10 de octubre de 1928. Hija de un hacendado miembro de una de las más antiguas y conocidas familias de Anatolia, su madre era inmigrante polaca, de origen lituano. Pasó su infancia en un impresionante palacio sobre el Bósforo. Y comenzó a estudiar canto en el Conservatorio de Estambul. Muy joven aún se traslada a Ankara, donde recibe lecciones privadas de la gran soprano italiana Giannina Arangi-Lombardi. Pronto destaca por sus cualidades interpretativas, y en 1950 se produce su debú operístico, en Ankara, con el personaje de Santuzza, de Cavalleria rusticana.
Rápidamente comienza a circular por la Europa operística los rumores sobre las excelencias interpretativas “de una joven soprano turca”. En 1953 se traslada a Italia y debuta en Nápoles, de nuevo en el papel de Santuzza, al que sigue inmediatamente su presentación con Madama Buttefly, también en Nápoles, en el Teatro San Carlo, al que siguen triunfales funciones de Tosca en la Ópera de Múnich. A partir de ese momento, los mejores teatros europeos y americanos se disputan su presencia. Karajan, tan despierto como siempre, la invita inmediatamente a cantar La traviata en la Ópera de Viena.
En 1956 debuta en San Francisco y un año después, en 1957, protagoniza en la Scala de Milán el estreno absoluto de Diálogos de Carmelitas, de Francis Poulenc. Filadelfia (1958), Moscú (1960), Buenos Aires (1961), Londres (1962), Glyndebourne (1962) y Edimburgo (1969) son eslabones de una carrera siempre ascendente, y catapultaron una voz que, aunque limitada en volumen, se caracterizaba por estar gobernada por una de las mejores técnicas de su tiempo y resultaba realzada por un temperamento teatral y una inteligencia expresiva inconfundibles.
En la Scala, compartió estrellato con la Callas y la Tebaldi. Su presencia en el templo operístico milanés fue permanente entre 1957 y 1983, donde apareció en 15 temporadas y cantó hasta 19 roles diferentes. Entre ellos, Leonora en La forza del destino (1957, 1961, 1965), Elisabetta di Valois en Don Carlos (1961, 1963-64, 1970), Aida (1963 y 1966), Lady Macbeth en Macbeth (1964), Norma (1965), Ottavia en L’incoronazione di Poppea (1967) y Alceste (1972). También en la Scala de Milán participó, en 1958, en el estreno absoluto de la ópera Asesino en la catedral, de Ildebrando Pizzetti. “Sus actuaciones en La Scala proporcionaron años de esplendor irrepetible a nuestro teatro», aseguró el sábado el mismo portavoz del coliseo milanés que comunicó su desaparición.
Consciente de las peculiaridades de su voz en el registro grave y tras consolidar su carrera a comienzos de la década de los sesenta, Leyla Gencer optó por concentrar y reservar su mejor repertorio a los agudos y belcantistas roles de soprano de “agilidad”. Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, Lucrezia Borgia, Roberto Devereux, Attila, I due Foscari, Rigoletto o Elisabetta de Inglaterra son óperas cuyos papeles de soprano se beneficiaron del arte inconfundible y de la cultura historicista de la Gencer. Esta decisión no le impidió, seguir abordando, aunque puntualmente, papeles más líricos y dramáticos, como Aida o La Gioconda, que gracias a su consistente técnica vocal sabía enfocar desde su condición de lírico-dramática.
Su legado es inmenso. Deja muchos alumnos, que trabajaban con ella en la Academia de la Scala de Milán, y una inmensa pero bien seleccionada discografía, junto a los mejores cantantes y directores de su tiempo, casi toda ella registrada en vivo. Entre las grabaciones que inmortalizan la voz de esta soprano legendaria e inolvidable figuran óperas de Bellini [I Puritani (1961), Beatrice di Tenda (1964), Norma (dos registros; en 1965 con Gavazzeni y en 1966 de Fabritiis)]; Cherubini [Medea (1968)]; Donizetti [Les Martyrs (1978); Lucrecia Borgia (1966 y 1970), Maria Stuarda (1967), Anna Bolena (1965), Roberto Devereux (1964) y Belisario (1969)]; Mozart [Don Giovanni (1960 y 1962, esta última dirigida por Solti)]; Ponchielli [La Gioconda (1971)], Zandonai [Francesca da Rimini (1961)]; Rossini [Elisabetta, Reina de Inglaterra (1971)].
Capítulo especial también merecen sus abundantes grabaciones verdianas, entre las que figuran las óperas I due Foscari (1957), La battaglia di Legnano (1959), Rigoletto (1961), Jerusalem (1963), I vespri siciliani (1965), Macbeth (1960 y 1968), Attila (1972), Ernani (1972), Simon Boccanegra (1961), Il trovatore (1957), Un ballo in maschera (1961), Aida (1956), La forza del destino (1957 y 1965). Todo documenta al futuro sobre la memoria de una artista que, como ha declarado el sábado el ministro de Cultura turco, Ertugrul Gunay, “era una artista mundial, nuestro honor en la escena internacional. Ella ha inscrito su nombre y el de Turquía en la historia de la ópera».
BOSTON HERALD
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Leyla Gencer in “Aida” 1966 Photo: La Scala Archive © ERIO PICCAGLIANI, Milano |
The singer known as La Diva Turca - the Turkish Diva - died Friday of respiratory problems and heart failure at home in Milan, La Scala and the Turkish State Opera and Ballet said.
CANTABILE
CBC CANADA
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Leyla Gencer in “Aida” 1966 Photo: La Scala Archive © ERIO PICCAGLIANI, Milano |
The singer known as La Diva Turca—the Turkish Diva—died Friday of respiratory problems and heart failure at home in Milan, La Scala and the Turkish State Opera and Ballet said.
La Scala expressed "immense sorrow" over Gencer's death and said the singer had "one of the most emotional voices of any time."
It said in a statement that her performances at La Scala had provided "years of unrepeatable splendor."
Gencer was born in Istanbul in 1928 to a Polish mother and a Turkish father.
She studied privately in Ankara, the Turkish capital, with Italian opera singer Giannina Arangi Lombardi and made her operatic debut there in 1950, cast as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" ("Rustic Chivalry")—a role she would later reprise on world stages.
Gencer, a contemporary of opera legends Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, made her La Scala debut in 1957, playing Madame Lidoine in the world premiere of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmelites." She moved to the Milanese opera house after successful performances in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" and Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" in Naples.
Her repertoire during a career spanning some 30 years included more than 70 roles. At La Scala, she was cast as the first woman of Canterbury in the world premiere of Pizzeti's "L'Assasinio nella Cattedralle" ("Murder in the Cathedral"). A debut at the Royal Opera House, in London, came in 1962 when she performed Elisabetta in Verdi's "Don Carlo."
"Leyla Gencer, a world artist, had become our honor in the international scene and has inscribed her name on the history of opera," Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said.
"The Turkish opera, the international art world, have lost a great personality. She was one of the most important opera singers of the 20th century," said Rengim Gokmen, director of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet.
After retiring from opera in 1985, the singer devoted herself to discovering and training young talent. An annual Turkish-sponsored voice competition is named after her.
"Even if in her finals years she was not able to go on stage, she became a leader for Turkish opera stars and trained them," Gokmen said. "We owe her a lot."
La Scala said a funeral will be held Monday in San Babila Church in Milan.
The private Dogan news agency reported that her ashes will be taken to Istanbul to be scattered over the Bosporus, in line with her wishes. The strait forms the boundary between the European and Asian parts of Turkey.
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Leyla Gencer in “Aida” 1966 Photo: La Scala Archive © ERIO PICCAGLIANI, Milano |
The singer known as "La Diva Turca" — the Turkish Diva — died Friday of respiratory problems and heart failure at home in Milan, La Scala and the Turkish State Opera said.
Leyla Gencer performs during Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. Turkish officials say the singer, who was known as La Diva Turca, or the Turkish Diva, died of respiratory problems and heart failure at her home on Friday. (Teatro alla Scala/Associated Press)
La Scala expressed "immense sorrow" over Gencer's death and said the singer had "one of the most emotional voices of any time."
It said in a statement that her performances at La Scala had provided "years of unrepeatable splendour."
Gencer was born in Istanbul in 1928 to a Polish mother and a Turkish father.
Debut in Ankara she studied privately in Ankara, the Turkish capital, with Italian opera singer Giannina Arangi Lombardi and made her operatic debut there in 1950, cast as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) — a role she would later reprise on world stages.
Gencer, a contemporary of opera legends Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, made her La Scala debut in 1957, playing Madame Lidoine in the premiere of Francis Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites. She moved to the Milanese opera house after successful performances in Madame Butterfly and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in Naples.
Her repertoire during a career spanning some 30 years included more than 70 roles. At La Scala, she was cast as the first woman of Canterbury in the world premiere of Pizzeti's L'Assasinio nella Cattedralle (Murder in the Cathedral). A debut at the Royal Opera House, in London, came in 1962 when she performed Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.
"Leyla Gencer, a world artist, had become our honour in the international scene and has inscribed her name on the history of opera," Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said.
"The Turkish opera, the international art world, have lost a great personality. She was one of the most important opera singers of the 20th century," said Rengim Gokmen, director of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet.
Fostering young talent after retirement
"Even if in her final years [when] she was not able to go on stage, she became a leader for Turkish opera stars and trained them," Gokmen said. "We owe her a lot."
La Scala said a funeral will be held Monday in San Babila Church in Milan.
The private Dogan news agency reported that her ashes will be taken to Istanbul to be scattered over the Bosporus, in line with her wishes. The strait forms the boundary between the European and Asian parts of Turkey.
CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL
The singer known as La Diva Turca “the Turkish Diva” died Friday of respiratory problems and heart failure at home in Milan, La Scala and the Turkish State Opera and Ballet said.
La Scala expressed "immense sorrow'' over Gencer's death and said the singer had "one of the most emotional voices of any time.''
It said in a statement that her performances at La Scala had provided "years of unrepeatable splendor.''
Gencer was born in Istanbul in 1928 to a Polish mother and a Turkish father.
She studied privately in Ankara, the Turkish capital, with Italian opera singer Giannina Arangi Lombardi and made her operatic debut there in 1950, cast as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana'' ("Rustic Chivalry'') -- a role she would later reprise on world stages.
Gencer, a contemporary of opera legends Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, made her La Scala debut in 1957, playing Madame Lidoine in the premiere of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmelites.'' She moved to the Milanese opera house after successful performances in "Madame Butterfly'' and Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin'' in Naples.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CIRCOLO DELLA LIRICA
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Leyla Gencer in a recital “Rai TV” 1982 Photo © POZZAR, Trieste |
La cantante lirica Leyla Gencer è morta venerdì 9 maggio all’età di 80 anni nella sua casa di Milano. La soprano turca, prima donna della Scala per quasi un trentennio, lasciato il palcosecnico nell’83, assunse il ruolo di responsabile artistico dell’accademia di perferzionamento per cantanti lirici del teatro milanese.
In una nota del teatro della Scala il soprano viene ricordato come «una delle voci più emozionanti di ogni tempo». «Non solo la Scala, suo teatro e sua seconda casa, ma l’opera stessa chiude con lei anni di splendore irripetibili».
Leyla Gencer, nata a Çubuklu, dopo aver studiato canto al Conservatorio di Istanbul e ad Ankara con il soprano italiano Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, ha debuttato al Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, con grande successo di critica e di pubblico nel 1953.E’riconosciuta come una delle ultime grandi dive del Novecento, dotata di una tecnica vocale superba e di notevoli qualità interpretative, la Gencer è riuscita a imporsi a livello internazionale, insieme alla Sutherland e alla Caballé.
Fra i ruoli che hanno consacrata la soprano turca come la migliore erede della Callas, si ricordano grandi personaggi di Verdi (Lady Macbeth, Aida, Violetta Valery né La traviata), di Bellini (Norma, Elvira de I puritani) e di Puccini, Madama Butterfly e Turandot.
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Leyla Gencer in “Aida” 1966 Photo: La Scala Archive © ERIO PICCAGLIANI, Milano |
The singer known as La Diva Turca—the Turkish Diva—died Friday of respiratory problems and heart failure at home in Milan, La Scala and the Turkish State Opera and Ballet said.
La Scala expressed "immense sorrow" over Gencer's death and said the singer had "one of the most emotional voices of any time."
It said in a statement that her performances at La Scala had provided "years of unrepeatable splendor."
Gencer was born in Istanbul in 1928 to a Polish mother and a Turkish father.
She studied privately in Ankara, the Turkish capital, with Italian opera singer Giannina Arangi Lombardi and made her operatic debut there in 1950, cast as Santuzza in Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" ("Rustic Chivalry")—a role she would later reprise on world stages.
Gencer, a contemporary of opera legends Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi, made her La Scala debut in 1957, playing Madame Lidoine in the world premiere of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues des Carmelites." She moved to the Milanese opera house after successful performances in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" and Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" in Naples.
Her repertoire during a career spanning some 30 years included more than 70 roles. At La Scala, she was cast as the first woman of Canterbury in the world premiere of Pizzeti's "L'Assasinio nella Cattedralle" ("Murder in the Cathedral"). A debut at the Royal Opera House, in London, came in 1962 when she performed Elisabetta in Verdi's "Don Carlo."
"Leyla Gencer, a world artist, had become our honor in the international scene and has inscribed her name on the history of opera," Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay said.
"The Turkish opera, the international art world, have lost a great personality. She was one of the most important opera singers of the 20th century," said Rengim Gokmen, director of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet.
After retiring
from opera in 1985, the singer devoted herself to discovering and training
young talent. An annual Turkish-sponsored voice competition is named after her.
"Even if in her finals years she was not able to go on stage, she became a leader for Turkish opera stars and trained them," Gokmen said. "We owe her a lot."
La Scala said a funeral will be held Monday in San Babila Church in Milan.
The private Dogan news agency reported that her ashes will be taken to Istanbul to be scattered over the Bosporus, in line with her wishes. The strait forms the boundary between the European and Asian parts of Turkey.
CORRIERA DELLA SERA
